


We are the Monsters

by drelfina



Series: The Reckoning: Symbol of Subjugation Inspired [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Corporal Punishment, Founders Era, Gen, Graphic Child Abuse, Other, dead dove do not eat, extremely shitty parenting, graphic domestic abuse?, graphic physical abuse, just be very careful, possible disassociation, the terrifying result of child abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:07:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22954555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drelfina/pseuds/drelfina
Summary: Hashirama refused to kill Madara on the battlefield.So Butsuma decided he had to try another tactic.A father should be proud when their son surpasses them.
Series: The Reckoning: Symbol of Subjugation Inspired [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1649584
Comments: 32
Kudos: 171





	We are the Monsters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [evocates](https://archiveofourown.org/users/evocates/gifts).
  * Inspired by [a symbol of subjugation](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21368578) by [evocates](https://archiveofourown.org/users/evocates/pseuds/evocates). 



> WARNING: graphic violence and child abuse. Possible disassociation. Please be warned.

Anija was not apologising. 

Of course he wasn't. Tobirama knew how much Hashirama _valued_ Madara. So of course he would not kill him. 

(Why, specifically Madara, Tobirama was not sure, and Anija had never really been able to explain.) 

Tobirama didn't flinch with each dull, fleshy hit of the cane, he hadn't flinched at the snaps (multiple, not quite all at once, even carrots snapped louder and sharper than those) of Anija's fingers.

He could hear Aneue's breathing, even and calm next to him, even as he kept his chakra under control. 

(not, not that his father nor Anija would be able to tell, not from that distance, not with the lack of specific concentration on him. But no minute flux was allowed, ever, because this, this was a lesson, this was something he had to _learn_.) 

Tobirama always let his vision focus on his Anija's face, not that he could see his brother's features clearly, unless they were closer. But there was no change in anything there, not even due to pain, and therefore Tobirama kept his chakra cool and unchanging, matching the river's flow, and let what was in front of his face pass. 

And therefore he didn't quite notice when his father's expression changed. (if it had.) 

"This doesn't matter to you." 

Father's voice never _changed_ , never, and therefore Tobirama's own senses weren't alerted until - 

Until suddenly Father was in front of him, and his hand was clutching at Tobirama's throat. 

Pressure. 

_Threat_. 

And the silver glint of his cane, the one he'd used to break Anija's fingers, off to the side and - if Tobirama slanted his gaze down, he saw the tip against Aneue's throat. 

She wasn't breathing. 

Anija was very, very still, like furniture, looking like he was carved and rooted to the floor and . 

Tobirama wasn't breathing either. 

It had to, Tobirama thought distantly, look very strange. All of them frozen in tableau. 

His own hands, loose on his knees, chin up and Father's palm, hot and slightly sweaty, probably from the clenched fist from earlier beating Anija, damp and firm against Tobirama's throat. 

There was no sound except for Father's breathing. 

"You're not learning," Father said, and Tobirama still was looking at Hashirama, focusing out of the soft daze he'd fallen into earlier, and if he took a slight breath, Father would barely feel the motion. 

And he _squeezed_. 

It would take more than that to choke Tobirama, really, it was nothing more than fingers putting slight pressure on his carotid, but Tobirama saw Anija straighten up. 

_Anija, no._

He opened his mouth. 

Anija shoved his arm back into its socket, the wet fleshy pop overwhelmingly loud, over the rush of blood in Tobirama's ears. 

Anija wasn't looking at Tobirama - nor at Aneue. He was looking up at Father, and his chakra was so calm. So very calm. 

"Then another sort of _pain_ ," Father said, and his fingers dug in, and Tobirama let out an ashamed, tiny animal sound. Unconscious, unnecessary, barely a breath from a narrowed trachea, and Anija snapped his own fingers. 

No. 

Rebroke them. They'd healed crooked. 

And for a long moment Tobirama thought the haze of Anija's chakra was his own poor control over his sense, but then it focused into tendrils over his father's legs. 

"Anija," he said, to cover his lapse in control. Felt his eyes widen a little. "Anija no-" 

The vines tightened. 

Tobirama heard the double-pop of his Father's right tibia and fibula pop out from behind the kneecap. 

And then the thicker, wetter sound of both Father's ankles _snapping_ , deep and visceral, the sound travelled up Tobirama's _knees_. 

Father grunted, and suddenly Tobirama was flat on the floor, eyes level with the join of vines and the floorboards. The vines were thick enough to hold Father's weight, and keep him upright; Tobirama could see the bumps of misaligned bones. The cane clattered down, handle just barely missing Tobirama's nose. 

Aneue grabbed the cane, out of Tobirama's sight, but he _felt_ the slice of air like a dog's whine, just above the frequency of hearing, and the can fell apart in several pieces. 

He still didn't do more than take in a silent breath, as Anija walked up to Father, and this time put his hands on Father's knee. 

The wet sound of bone snapping back into place always sounded louder, _worse_ , than the initial dislocation, and Anija made sure to put all the bones and ligaments back into place, before starting on the ankles.

Fingers firm over the swell of bone, and Tobirama watched as Anija's chakra glowed green, the pale-green of healing rather than his usual moss. 

And Anija checked each alignment, each ligament, as meticulous as any healing he'd done on Tobirama and Aneue, before he straightened up again.

The vines retreated back into the floorboards, smoothing out like nothing had happened, just him standing, facing Father, not quite craning his neck to meet Father's eyes, just like they had when they'd first entered the room, everything pristine and healed and whole. 

No damage visible. 

"I let you beat me," Anija said, and for a moment, his voice went lower, deeper than Butsuma's, vibrating in Tobirama's bones. "Don't forget that." 

Then he glanced down at Tobirama and Aneue. 

He didn't have to say a word, but Aneue stood up, stepping over the cane pieces, and Tobirama got to his feet. 

When they walked past Father, Tobirama made sure to keep his gaze exactly level, below Father's sternum, exactly the height of the base of Anija's shoulder blades.

Together, they followed Anija out. 

END

**Author's Note:**

> So like, based on the timeline that Evocates kind of vagued at me, this takes place... uh, when Hashirama is roughly 13-14, and Tobirama is 9-10. 
> 
> When in [Chapter 12](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21368578/chapters/53528563) Hashirama said he was a monster, this is also what he meant. 
> 
> Hashirama literally broke his father's limbs to make a POINT. Just like Butsuma had been about to hurt Tobirama and Mito to make his point. 
> 
> And Hashirama was not even tall enough to meet his father's eyelevel. He was a _child_ , and Tobirama was even younger. 
> 
> These are the monsters you've made out of your children, Butsuma.


End file.
